A 63-year-old woman lost her life when a speeding driver ran a red light and slammed into her vehicle. The crash shut down a major Chico intersection for over seven hours.
A deadly multi-vehicle crash on the Esplanade in Chico, California, claimed the life of a 63-year-old woman on Wednesday afternoon — and the details are deeply unsettling.
The Butte County Sheriff’s Office has identified the victim as Tawny Christner of Clearlake Oaks, California. She was a passenger in a vehicle that was rear-ended at high speed while stopped at a red light at the intersection of the Esplanade and E. Lassen Avenue. Chico Police say she was declared deceased upon impact.
At around 1 p.m., officers were called to the scene after a gray sedan ran a red light at a dangerous speed and slammed into the back of a stopped vehicle. The force of the crash was so severe that it pushed the car forward into several other vehicles waiting at the opposite red light — ultimately involving six vehicles in total, including a B-Line Transit Bus.
The driver of the car that was hit sustained minor injuries and was taken to a local hospital. The at-fault driver was also transported with major injuries.
In a striking detail, a Chico Police patrol sergeant was sitting at the same red light and witnessed the entire crash unfold. Emergency crews from a nearby unrelated hazmat investigation were immediately redeployed to the scene.
Chico PD’s Major Accident Investigation Team (MAIT) responded, and a drone team used 3D mapping software to create an aerial map of the crash site. The intersection remained closed for more than seven hours before reopening at 8:30 p.m.
All other drivers involved stayed at the scene and cooperated with investigators. The case remains under active investigation.
